Health

A man in China who reportedly sniffed his dirty socks each day learned the hard way that his habit is apparently a health danger.

The man, identified only as Peng by the Daily Mail, reportedly developed a habit of sniffing his socks each day after work. But this unusual custom allegedly landed him in the hospital after the Zhangzhou resident complained of chest pains, tightness in his chest and a cough, Science Alert reported.

Initially, doctors at Zhangzhou’s 909 Hospital suspected that Peng, 37, had pneumonia. But when his symptoms persisted, doctors re-questioned the man and he eventually admitted he was “addicted to smelling his socks that he had been wearing,” he said, according to the Daily Mail, which cited local Chinese media.

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Physicians would later discover the man had a serious fungal infection in his lungs, more formally known as pulmonary fungal disease. The infection was likely caused when the man inhaled the fungal spores found in the dirty socks, Science Alert reported.

Peng’s condition may have been worsened by his “lack of rest,” one of the man’s doctors, Mai Zhuanying, reportedly told Fujian Daily, according to the Daily Mail.

“The infection could also be attributed to the patient’s lack of rest at home as he had [been] looking after his child, leading to a weaker immune system,” Zhuanying said.

Pulmonary fungal disease, or Aspergillosis, is an infection caused by a certain kind of mold.

“The illnesses resulting from aspergillosis usually affect the respiratory system, but their signs and severity vary greatly,” the Mayo Clinic explains online.

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“The mold that triggers the illnesses, aspergillus, is everywhere — indoors and outdoors. Most strains of this mold are harmless, but a few can cause serious illnesses when people with weakened immune systems, underlying lung disease or asthma inhale their spores,” the Mayo Clinic continued, noting the infection can cause wheezing, shortness of breath, or cause the infected person to cough up blood, among other symptoms.

An Indiana couple is thankful for the miracle of life after their son was given a grim chance of survival — only to fight against the odds.

Daniel Breyts was told to start preparing for his newborn’s funeral before he was able to hold his son, Rowan, who was born three months early on April 11, 2018, and suffered from Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC), an aggressive infectious disease that attacked his intestines.

“Without a small intestine, he could never eat. He would never grow. He was too small to hope for a transplant. It was a death sentence,” Breyts said of the diagnosis. “We kissed him and cried, telling him how much we loved him and wished there was something we could do.”

The couple spent as much time with him as they could, offering him kind words and apologies through tears, but instead of getting worse, Rowan’s condition improved.

“Jess and I spoke at length and decided that he wasn’t giving up…neither would we,” Breyts said. So they contacted Riley’s Children Hospital in Indianapolis which offered to take his case and even mentioned the possibility of a transplantation of his intestines.

Four days later he went into surgery, and the doctors had some shocking news.

“She told me they saw a lot of pink viable intestine, which was the exact opposite of what we had been told,” Breyts said.

After seven months in NICU, Rowan was able to make his first trip home of his life.

“Seeing him myself and knowing where he came from as far as how small he was and the issues that he had, in my heart he is a miracle,” Breyts told FOX 59. “He’s an honest-to-God miracle.”

While they still have many appointments and things to do at home medically, Novac said she is thankful for so many people and spiritually excited to plan her son’s future. Many have donated to their PayPal account to help cover the medical costs.

At birth, Rowan weighed a little over a pound and was about the size of his mother’s hand, but today, he is 14 pounds, 6 ounces and “growing like a weed!”